A long-running rivalry between Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman intensified over the weekend after Apple filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the AI company of misappropriating trade secrets related to consumer hardware development.
The lawsuit, filed on July 10 in California federal court, alleges that OpenAI, along with its hardware efforts (including ties to former Apple designer Jony Ive's io project) and individuals like former Apple engineer Chang Liu and hardware chief Tang Tan, improperly used Apple's confidential designs, circuit information, and component architecture to accelerate its own AI device plans. OpenAI has denied the claims, stating it has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets."
Musk seized on the news to renew sharp criticisms of Altman and OpenAI. In a series of posts on X, he referred to Altman as "Scam Altman" and claimed he "takes scamming to a whole new level." Musk also shared a clip of Altman's past testimony where he said he works "because I love it," adding: "By 'this' he means scamming."
The exchange escalated further when Musk posted: "We start flying them next year. Maybe you can come see them if your parole officer approves. After stealing an open source AI charity, you then stole all of Apple’s phone technology! Wow. What do you plan for an encore? That’s tough to beat."
This references Musk's longstanding grievance that Altman and others shifted OpenAI from its original non-profit, open-source mission which Musk helped co-found and fund to a for-profit entity, a claim central to Musk's prior lawsuits against OpenAI. Altman has pushed back in the past, and in this latest round, he responded to Musk's criticisms by noting OpenAI's recent model advancements (such as GPT-5.6 Sol) and quipping that Musk's attention indicates success: "elon is obsessed with me again." Altman also questioned Musk's plans for orbital data centers tied to SpaceX.
Musk countered by reaffirming SpaceX's timeline for deploying AI-related satellite infrastructure, framing it as a practical solution to computing power and energy demands.
The public back-and-forth highlights deep tensions in the AI industry over competition, intellectual property, and business models. Musk has repeatedly criticized OpenAI's direction since his departure, while Altman has defended the company's evolution as necessary to advance safe AI development amid massive capital needs.
No immediate legal outcomes from Apple's suit or direct responses from OpenAI to Musk's latest remarks were available as of this reporting. The feud continues to play out publicly on X, drawing significant attention amid rapid advancements in AI hardware and infrastructure.
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